Separated from most of the city by Rock Creek Park, Ward 3 is the western corner of the District. Known for both its beautiful neighborhoods and wealthy enclaves, the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions here have seen lots of bitter arguments over new development and change. Keep reading…

Last Tuesday the DC Council held a hearing on the Comprehensive Plan, and it was pretty epic. More than 275 people signed up to testify and the hearing lasted well into the morning of the next day. What was also epic was the fact that over 50 urbanists from across the city showed up to testify, many staying late into the night. Keep reading…

Designating historic landmarks is a valuable piece of the land use policy landscape, but this mechanism isn't immune to abuse by those who don't want new development. Case in point? Efforts to preserve this decidedly unremarkable Pepco substation. Keep reading…

Jason Mendelson is a local musician with a very unique inspiration for his art: Washington's Metrorail and its many stations. He writes songs about pirates near the Waterfront station, whether the train stops at “National” or “Reagan,” and neighborhood change in Tenleytown. Keep reading…

A coalition of affordable housing advocates, faith groups, business groups, tenants' groups, developers, and over 250 residents have unified to support more housing, more affordable housing, and targeted support for communities as DC rewrites its Comprehensive Plan. One of those priorities: Best utilize areas near transit. Keep reading…

Can you imagine a highway trench in Mount Pleasant? Or an interchange at 14th & U? That was the vision planners had for DC in 1959, and had they realized it, I-70 South would have cut through the hearts of some of DC's busiest neighborhoods. Keep reading…

Local DC performing and visual artists and installations will invade seven DC neighborhoods Saturday night as part of a free program called Art All Night. This year’s festival, and events like it, are great for fostering urbanism.
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First, Georgetown Day School took 3 floors and 50 units of housing away from its proposed development in Tenleytown, following opposition from neighbors and the DC Office of Planning. Now, it has to delay the entire project because of a zoning technicality.
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Georgetown Day School recently downsized its plans for a mixed-use project in Tenleytown. Aside from cutting 50 units of housing, the developers also canceled plans for a pocket park. We called that a loss, but some skeptics said it wasn’t a big deal because the park would have been very small. But when it comes to parks, quality is way more important than size. These 10 “teacup… Keep reading…

50-100 people won’t be able to live in Tenleytown, and a major intersection won’t get a pocket park and become more walkable. That’s because DC’s Office of Planning and some local leaders got anxious about a mixed-use building from Georgetown Day School that’s shorter than another one across the street. Keep reading…

Despite some bruising battles in Upper Northwest, big changes are underway. Over the next two years, a large number of residential buildings that are opening may change the area’s politics for good.
Upper Northwest has a reputation for being full of people who hate new buildings, are suspicious of cyclists, and worry that students will die chasing ping-pong balls… Keep reading…

Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) in many DC neighborhoods have a reputation for just being obstacles to any change, but that’s not always true. In many parts of the District, ANCs have been a positive force for steps to improve communities. Will this election bring representatives who would continue or arrest those trends?
Each ANC covers one or a few neighborhoods… Keep reading…

Will Silver bring blue?; What can Green teach about Silver?; Back to school for mixed use; Virginia tells Uber to cease; EPA rule’s impacts will vary; A utility model for funding transit; New bus adjusts to riders; Voters gain development veto power; Seattle gives street space to kids; How the battle was won. Keep reading…